Store-service apparatus



(No ModeL) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

' J. T. COWLEY. STORE SERVICE APPARATUS.

v No. 452,473. Patented May 19,"1'891.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. T. COWLEY.

STORE SERVICE APPARATUS. No. 452,473. Patented May 19, 1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES T. OOlVLEY, OF LOWVELL, MASSACHUSEWS, ASSIGNOR TO THE LAMSONCONSOLIDATED STORE SERVICE COMPANY, OF NEIV JERSEY.

STORE-SERVICE APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 452,47 3, dated May 19,1891. Application filed December 24, 1889. Serial No. 334,814. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES T. COWLEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lowell, Middlesex county, Massachusetts, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Store-Service Apparatus, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of storeservice apparatus in whichrolling carriers to are employed; and my invention consists in themeans, fullyset forth hereinafter, for driving said carriers by thefrictional contact of a continuously-driven cable.

The invention further consists in the coni 5 struction of the parts andin appliances for use in connection with rolling carriers driven by acable.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a part side elevation ofsuflicient of a storeservice apparatus to illustrate my invention. Fig.2 is an enlarged transverse section on the line 2 2, Fig. 1, looking inthe direction of the arrow. Fig. 3 is aplan view of the apparatus at thejunction of one of the branch tracks. Fig. at is a sectional plan on theline at 4:, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a plan showing the arrangement of track,cable, and switch-plate at the j unction of one of the branch tracks.Fig. 6 illustratesthe relative arrangement of 0 the track and cable at acurve. Figs. 7 and 8 are views illustrating modified forms of bearingsfor the cable upon the carriers. Fig. 9 is a view illustrating adifferent form of track and carrier constructed for frictional 5 contactof the cable at the periphery.

The main features of my invention may be employed in connection withsystems having different forms of ways and carriers.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 7, the way consists of two parallel rails CtCt,provided with flanges 1, or instead of flanges guard rails or wires 2may be employed to prevent any lateral movements of the carriers fromthe way, except at the proper points, when turn-outs or switches 5 areemployed.

In my improved apparatus the carriers are rolling carriers, each carrierB, as shown, being in the form of a hollow cylinder containing thereceptacle for the money or other matter and provided with a detachablecap or cover 3 in any suitable position. The ways are horizontal, or arepreferably horizontal, and the rolling carriers are driven thereon bymeans of a traveling cable 0, which, instead of being fastened to thecarriers by grip or 5 may thus bear directly upon the periphery of therolling carrier B, as shown in Fig. 9, where the carrier is providedwitha circumferential groove 4, in which the cable rests, drawing thecarrier with it and at the same time imparting to it positively a rotarymotion, which facilitates its travel upon the way. The cable may restdirectly upon the periphery of the carrier, orit may bear upon a portionof the carrier less in diameter than the body. Thus in Fig. 2 eachcarrier is shown as provided with a projection 5 at one side, theperiphery of which is concentric with the axis of the carrier, and uponwhich the cable C bears, and this pe-' riphery may have a groove, asshown in Fig.

2, which groove may be V-shaped, as shown in Fig. 7, so as to insure thecable being held frictionally between the sides thereof to preventslipping. The projection 5,instead of being in the form of a disk,may beprovided with a series of radial notched arms, as shown in Fig. 8, thepractical effect being the same in both cases. 8

In the construction shown in Figsl and 2 the continuous cable 0 passesaround terminal pulleys 6 7, one of which is a driving-pulley connectedwith any suit-able motor, and there are supports for the cable atsuitable o points, of any desirable character. As shown, each support 8is in the form of a grooved wheel or pulley turning upon a stud of thebracket D, that supports the forwarding-way A and return-way A. Thesupports 8 are arranged at such a height that the cable-bearingprojections 5 of the carriers will pass above them.

In order to arrest each carrier at its proper station, I provide the waywith switches of any ordinary or suitable character. For instance, ateach station a section of the way may be pivoted to swing downward,forming a switch-section 9, Fig. 1, of a character simi lar to thatshown in Letters Patent to llayden, No. 295,2 i8, except that theswitch-section is preferably supported by a spring 10, capable ofyielding under the superior weight of the carrier and locked by acatch-lever 19, engaging a stud 12, and connected by a rod 13 with apivoted arm 1i, arranged to be struck by the carrier. The carriers arepreferably of ditferent sizes, and the arms 14: are so arranged thateach will be struck only by the carriers that are to be switched fromthe track at that point.

hen branch tracks at a different level are used, the carriers will betransferred thereto by means of switch-sections t), as set forth inLetters Patent to W. S. Lamson, N 202,923. I prefer, however, to extendsaid branch tracks from the main tracks upon the same level, as shown inFig. 5, the carriers being deflected to one side in any suitable manner.For instance, switch-plates E are supported above the path of thecarriers and extending therefrom toward the side tracks A Fig. 5, andeach carrier is provided with a peripheral flange 16, so arranged as tostrike the proper switch-plate E, whereby it is guided laterally awayfrom the main track and from the propelling-cable onto the side track A\Vhen the side track A is longer than the distance to which the carrierscan be carried by momentum after passing by contact with the cable, thesaid side tracks may be inclined so as to convey the carriers bygravity, or a second cable may be arranged to engage the carriers at theside track in the same manner as on the first.

To elevate the carriers from a station below to the forwarding-track A,an elevator may be used. This elevator may be of any of the usualforms-as, for instance, a platform 49, sliding upon guides 20 andmanipulated by a cord 21, and constructed to supportthe carriers B, andthe forwarding-track may have a pivoted section arranged to be lifted bycontact with the elevator, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1, until theprojection 5 of the carrier is brought in contact with the cable, whenthe carrier will be driven off the platform by the cable and onto theway. \Vhen the way is provided with a curve, as shown in Fig. 6, thecable C is deflected by means of guide-pulleys 22 23, so that thecarrier will pass around the curve by momentum without contact with thecable, resuming its engagement with the latter as it reaches thestraight portion of the track.

.l-have shown the particular form of clevator adapted for use inconnection with the form of track illustrated; but it will be evidentthat other forms of elevating means may be employed-for instance, apivoted track section 30, dotted lines, Fig. 1, adapted to be drawn downto receive the carrier and then elevate it, substantially as in theconstruction illustrated in Haydens patent, No. 277,276.

In Fig. 9 is illustrated another form of way, in which there is asuitable rail adapted to the groove in the periphery of the carrier, andtwo guard-rails adapted to receive between them the carrier.

Without limiting myself to the precise construction and arrangements ofparts shown, I claim 1. A store-service apparatus provided with a track,rolling carriers adapted to travel on said track, and a motor-cable inposition to bear tangentially upon a portion of each carrier, so as torotate and propel said carrier along said track, substantially as setforth.

2. A store-service apparatus provided with a track, rolling carriersadapted to travel on said track, and a motor-cable in POSltiOH to beartangentially upon a portion of each carrier, so as to rotate and propelsaid carrler along said track, said carrier being held upon the track bythe cable, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the track and motor-cable of a store-serviceapparatus, of rolling carriers provided with fixed side projectionshaving peripheries engaging the motor-cable, substantially as set forth.

t. The combination of the main and branch tracks, rolling carriershaving projections concentric with the carriers grooved to engage acable by which the carriers are driven, and flanges or ribs 16, andswitch-plates or deflectors E above the main track, arranged to engagesaid flanges so as to deflect the carriers onto the branch tracks,substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of the way of a storeservice apparatus, a motor-cablesupported upon bearings at one side of the way, and rolling carriershaving circular proj eetions at the sides, with grooved peripheries toreceive the motor-cable, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMEST. COWLEY.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL B. WYMAN, WM. IT. ANDERSON.

